Purifier for lubricating oils



E. E. HANS.

PURIFIER FOR LUBRICATING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1920.

I mg 8 37 Patented June 27, 19 22..

' crank case 1, a cylinder block 2, exhaust EDMUND E. HANS, OF DETROIT, MICmG'AN.

PURIFIE R FOR LUBRICATING- OILS.

Application filed September 7, 1920. Serial No. 408,684.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, EDMUND E. HANS, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Purifier for Lubricating Oils, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for continually removing the asoline and kerosene from the lubricating 011s in the crank cases of internal combustion engines so that such oil may always have its full lubricating qualities, and it is embodied in a heating vessel connected to the exhaust manifold of the engine and provided with a passage through which a current of air may fiow' to carry away the vapors of the gasoline and kerosene, of means to lift the lubricating oil from the crank case to the heating vessel, and a conductor to carry the lubricating oil from the vessel to the crank case, means being provided to cool the oil after it leaves the heating vessel. I

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 1s a side elevation ofan internal combustion engine equipped with my improved lubricant purifier. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a View showing a control valve. Fig. 5 is a section of a modified form of purifier. Fig. 6 is a view of a thermostat adapted for use with this purifier.

Similar reference characters refer to l ke parts throughout the several views,

In many internal combustion engines having vertical cylinders drops of gasoline or kerosene of the fuel enter the crank case and mix with the lubricant therein. In such en 'nes, particularly when cold, small particT S of these light fuels condense on the walls of the cylinders during the charging strokes and pass down between the pistons and the cylinder walls into the crank case, where they slowly accumulate and reduce the lubricating quality; of the oil therein.

The engine shown in the drawing has a manifold 3, radiator 4, fan 5 and its belt 6, magneto 7 and its shaft 8, and any desired driving mechanism for the magneto shaft enclosed in the case 9. Theseseveral parts have been shown conventionally as by them selves they form no part .of my invention.

driven by any convenient mechanism is an Mounted at any convenient point and- 011 pump, in the present case a rotary pump 10 mounted on the magneto shaft 8. Its suction pipe 12 extends to a low point in the crank case and it normally delivers the lu- -bricating oil to the pressure filter 13, which Specification of Letters Patent. Patent gd June 27 1922 ing to the filter and the other branch 17 to the purifier 18, a small needle valve 19 being shown as controlling thev flow to this purifier. 1

Connected to the exhaust manifold 3 is a chamber 20, preferably integral with the exhaust manifold, having a removable top 21 provided with holes 22 which lead into the pipe 23. This pipe has a funnel 24: at one end turned toward the fan 5 and may have a down-turned rear end .25. A pipe 26 connects into the chamber 20 at about the desired liquid level to carry oif the purified lubricant, while the branch 17 from the pump 10 connects to the chamber 20-near its bottom.

The pump 10 forces lubricating oil than is necessary to lift theoil to the purifier 1:8, and the HOW to the purifier will therefore be continuous so long as the pump is operatlng. The needle-valve 19 regulates this flow so that the oil which does pass will be heated to' a sufficiently high temperature to evaporate the gasoline and kerosene. The vapors of these hydrocarbons rise and pass out throughthe small passages" 22 into the pipe 23 and are carried along by the air which enters the funnel 24;, passing down and rearwardlygbelow, thefloor of the vehicle. Y

Lubricatingoil is less effective when hot and some means should be provided to reduce its temperature after leaving the purifier. I have shown. a number of fins 28 mounted on the pipe 26 which fins will ra- I the radiator to be used in place of the pipe 26, or in addition thereto, and this pipe will always carry cold oil to the crank case.

In cold weather the oil'becomes thick and may not flow freely down the pipe 26 and may-even fill the purifier and escape through the passages 22. To avoid this I may employ a thermostat 30 secured at its ends to the lugs 31 at the ends of the heating chamber and connectin to the valve 32 .by means of the rod 33. Brass will preferably be the upper metal and steel the lower so that the valve 32 will be held down to close the upper end of the pipe 17 until the liquid in the chamberv 20 reaches the desired temperature. With increasing temperatures the valve rises so that constantly increasing volumes of oil will enter the purifier until it reaches a maximum determined by the needle valve 19.

It is evident that the details of construction of this device may all be changed without departin from the spirit of invention set forth in t e following claims. This Fig. 5'shows a purifier 34 attached to a vertical exhaust pipe 35,, the oil entering at 36 and flowing out at 3'? andfthe hydrocarbon vapors assing out through the opening 38.

I c aim V 1. A purifier for the lubricating oil of internal combustion engines consisting of a heating chamber attached to the exhaust passage of the engine, means to cause a flow of lubricant through the chamber, an air passage across the'top ofthe chamber and connecting thereto by holes in the dividing wall, and means to cause a current of air to pass through the passage.

2. A purifier for the lubricating oil of internal combustion engines consisting of a heating chamber attached to the exhaust passageof the engine, means to cause a How of lubricant through the chamber, an air passage across the top of the chamber and connecting thereto by holes in the dividing wall, means to cause a current of air to pass through the passage, and means controlled by the temperature of the lubricant in the heazing chamber to resist the flow of lubrican 3. A purifier for the lubricating oil of internal combustion engines consisting of a heating chamber formed integral with the exhaust pipe of the engine, a cap for said chamber, an air pipe attached to said cap, said pipe and cap being formed with registering holes, a funnel at one end of. said pipe, a fan to force air through the pipe, and means to conduct lubricant to and from the heating chamber;

4;. A purifier for the lubricating oil of internal' combustion engines consisting of a heating chamber attached to the exhaust passage of the engine, means to cause lubricant to flow from the crank case to said chamber, means to cool the lubricant after it leaves the chamber, said chamber having openings to permit the escape of volatile.

matter, an air passage into which said openings extend, and a fan to cause a current of air through the passage.

5. A purifier for the lubricating oil of internal combustion engines consisting of a. heating chamber attached to the exhaust passage of the engine, means to cause lubricant to flow from the crank case to said chamber, means to cool the lubricant after it leaves the chamber, said chamber having openings to permit the escape of volatile matter, a valve to control the flow of lubricant into said chamber, and a thermostat in said chamber operated by the temperature of oil to control the valve and flow of the lubricant.

6. A purifier for the lubricating oil of internal combustion engines consisting of a heating chamber attached to the exhaust passage of the engine, a pump to cause lubricant to flow from the crank case to said chamber, a suction pipe for the-pump connecting to the crank case below the'oil level chamber, a suction pipe for the ump connecting to the crank case below t e oil level therein, a discharge pipe for said pump connecting to the heating chamber, an overflow pipe extending from the heating chamber to the suction pipe of the pump, and means to cool the heated lubricant.

8. A purifier for the lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine consisting of a heating chamber having a volatile gas outlet, means for heating said chamber, means to cause lubricant to flow from said engine to said heating chamber, means to regulate the flow of the lubricant into said heating chamber, and means actuated by the temperature of the lubricant for controlling the means regulating the flow of the lubricant into said heating chamber. 1

9. A purifier for the lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine consisting of a heating chamber having a volatile gas outlet, means for heating said chamber, means ,to-caus'e lubricant to flow from said engine to .said heating chamber, and a thermostat hi0! controlling the flow of lubricant into saidheating chamber. 10. A purifier for the lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine consisting o a heating chamber having a volatile gas outlet, means for heating said chamber, means to cause lubricant to flow from said engine to said heating chamber, a thermostat for controlling the flow of lubricant into said heating chamber, and means to cool said heated lubricant and return said cooled luw bricant to the engine.

11. A purifier for the lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine consisting of a heating chamber having a volatile gas outlet, means for heating said chamber, a cooler, means to cause lubricant to flow from said engine to said heating chamber and cooler simultaneously and said lubricant passing through the cooler is returned to the engine.

12. A purifier for the lubricating 011 of an internal combustion engine consisting of a heating chamber having a volatile gas outlet, means for heating said chamber, a cooler,

means to cause lubricant to flow from said engine-to said heating chamber and cooler simultaneously and said lubricant passing through the cooler is returned to the engine,

EDMUND E. HANS. 

